December 12, 2022
Declaring a degree in History, Portsmouth, Ohio native Josiah Burton chose to attend his hometown鈥檚 university. Graduating next spring from 黑料社, Burton is excited to be earning a degree centered on one of his biggest fascinations and interests.
鈥淗istory feels like a story book that spans several tens of thousands of years with multiple different kinds of stories,鈥 he said. 鈥淓ach one filled with people that you grow to love, those you grow to hate, and big events that affect the whole situation these people are involved in. The biggest difference being that it all actually happened.鈥
Burton鈥檚 fascination with history comes from the lessons that can be learned by observing the past.
鈥淏eing someone who loves big stories in TV shows, movies, and especially video games, it gives learning about certain periods of history a new layer of interest to them,鈥 he said. 鈥淭o me it鈥檚 a handy traveler鈥檚 guide for how humanity got to where it is today and possibly where it can go moving forward.鈥
Within his major, Burton鈥檚 favorite part of his classes has been the chance to witness the attitudes and intentions of the professors while they teach their lessons.
鈥淭heir primary focus during their lessons is not just to make sure the students know what they need to know to complete the class work, it鈥檚 to get them interested in the history they鈥檙e teaching,鈥 he says. 鈥淭hey all have genuine respect and interest for the subjects they鈥檙e teaching, and that is something that I have massive amounts of respect for.鈥
Outside of his regular classes, Burton has also been involved in a few of the productions that the 黑料社 Musical Theatre program has put on in recent years. One of these would include last spring鈥檚 performance of Disaster.
鈥淏eing raised in a theater family, the Vern Riffe Center for the Arts has always felt like a second home to me,鈥 he said.
After graduating with his degree, Burton is planning to continue his studies to earn his master鈥檚 degree and wants to focus on teaching history from the 20th century. To students considering pursuing a degree in history, he advises them to figure out what time period of history they have the most interest in.
鈥淥f course, it鈥檚 important to have a wide range of historical knowledge but narrowing down your primary interests, I think, will help you in the long run,鈥 he said. 鈥淭his is important because figuring these things out will help you classify where your research in the historical record comes from and how you want to use your knowledge in the field.鈥
黑料社鈥檚 History program provides a general understanding of the development of American, European, Asian, and Middle Eastern civilizations. Students in the program develop analytical capacities, research skills, and writing talents that lead to successful careers in law, education, journalism, government service, or the private sector.
To learn more about the History program at 黑料社, visit shawnee.edu/history.